Improvement in expanding tampions for fire-arms



UNITED STATES PATENT Erica,

IMPROVEMENT IN EXPANDING TAMPIONS FOR FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 45,61Ldated December27, 1864; antedated December 17, 1864.

To (ZZZ whom it may concerm- Be it known that we, THOMAS K. Sonne-MERHORN and J OsErH ANDERSON, both of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Tampion; and wedo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents alongitudinal central section of our invention, the line x 00, Fig. 2,indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of thesame, taken in the plane indicated by the line 3 1 Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. I

This invention consists in the employment or use of a stationary nut, incombination with a plug divided in two or more sections and heldtogether by elastic packing-rings, and with a conical expander andflange in such a manner that when the plug is not expanded it canbereadily introduced into the muzzle 'Of a gun or other firearm, and byscrewing down the expander the sections of the plug are forced outagainst the inner circumference of the barrel, and at the same time theflange is pressed up tight against its mouth,and a joint is producedwhich is perfectly impervious to water, and, furthermore, by unscrewingthe expander the plug readily contracts,so that it can be easilywithdrawn from the barrel.

A represents aplug,turned of woodor other suitable material, and cut intwo or more sections, a b c, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These sectionsare held together by bands d,of indiarubber or other suitable material,capable of acting simultaneously as springs and as packing. Two or moresuch bands may be applied to the plug, according to its size.

B is the expander, which is made of wood or other suitable material,andthe conical part of which fits into a correspondingly conical socket, e,in the plug, as shown in Fig. 1. This plug is provided with ascrew-shank, f, at its inner end, which is tapped with a nut, g,inserted in a mortise, h, in the several sections of the plug. Thismortise is square, the same as the nut, so that in screwing down theround, and at the same time by means of the mortise said nut is heldstationary, allowing the sections of the plug to expand or contract atpleasure. The expander B is rotated by a handle, 0, attached to orpassing through its head, and a shoulder, 73, under its head serves toact on the flange D, which is intended to bear against the end of thebarrel when the expander is screwed down. If the expander isunscrewed,the plug A can be easily introduced in the barrel, and byscrewing up the expander the sections of the plug are forced out againstthe inner surface of the barrel,and at the same and a perfectlywater-tight joint is produced, so that the barrel can be submerged inwater without danger of wetting the charge, and even by application ofconsiderable hydraulic pressure we have not been able to force aparticle of water into the barrel. When it is desired to remove thetampion from the barrel, the expander is turned back, and the sectionsof the plug contract spontaneously by the action of the elastic bands d.Our tampion is thus easily applied and readily removed. It can be madecheap and readily fitted to barrels of any size, and by its use thecharge in the barrel is perfectly protected against moisture.

We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The stationarynut g, in combination with the expander D, sectional plug A, elasticbands (I, and flange D, constructed and operating as and for the purposeshown and described.

THOMAS K. SOHERMERHORN. JOSEPH ANDERSON, Witnesses:

- JAS. P. HALL,

GEO. W. REED.

expander the nut is prevented from turning time the flange D is pressedup against its end

